On March 17, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), delivered the “CMA CGM Grand Palais”, the world’s largest 24,000 TEU LNG-fueled dual-fuel container ship, seven and a half months ahead of schedule. This marks the 20th large container ship Hudong-Zhonghua has built for France’s CMA CGM Group, setting a new benchmark for deep cooperation between China and France in the fields of green shipping and high-end manufacturing.
The “CMA CGM Grand Palais” has an overall length of 399 meters, a beam of 61.3 meters, a depth of 33.5 meters, and a designed draft of 14.5 meters. It can carry nearly 24,000 standard containers—equivalent to the cargo capacity of 480 China-Europe freight trains—and has a maximum stacking height of 24 layers, equivalent to a 25-story building.
The vessel is equipped with 18,000 cubic meters of MARK III LNG fuel tanks, providing a clean-energy range of nearly 20,000 nautical miles. Compared to traditional fuel-powered ships, it reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 20%, nitrogen oxides by 85%, and particulate matter and sulfur oxides by 99%, fully meeting the world’s most stringent environmental standards.
Named after an iconic cultural landmark in Paris, this vessel will be deployed on Mediterranean routes, injecting new momentum into global trade and contributing fresh impetus to the sustainable development of the shipping industry. CMA CGM stated that the four 24,000 TEU LNG-powered dual-fuel container ships—the world’s largest of their kind—built by Hudong-Zhonghua hold exceptional significance for the company and have played a crucial role in advancing CMA CGM’s energy transition and the global shipping industry’s decarbonization efforts.
CMA CGM Group stated that it is stepping up its efforts to achieve its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, with plans to put approximately 200 dual-fuel container ships into service by 2031, all of which will be capable of operating on low-carbon energy sources.
Throughout the construction of this series of vessels, Hudong-Zhonghua has continued to advance lean management and smart manufacturing, extensively applying advanced techniques such as digital hatch cover installation, 3D digital scanning, and modular assembly, thereby significantly improving construction efficiency and quality. All key milestones for the vessel were achieved efficiently, resulting in delivery well ahead of schedule and demonstrating Hudong-Zhonghua’s exceptional capabilities in the mass production of ultra-large container ships.
Hudong-Zhonghua successfully delivered the “CMA CGM Grand Palais,” marking the milestone of its 101st container ship delivery and achieving full coverage of vessel types ranging from 1,714 TEU to over 24,000 TEU.
Hudong-Zhonghua and CMA CGM have established a deep partnership to pioneer the use of LNG as a propulsion fuel in the ultra-large container ship sector. By overcoming technical challenges in the construction of MARK III membrane fuel tanks on these vessels, they are leading the global LNG industry toward diversified, high-end, and high-quality development.